Report highlights racial disparities
The report also highlights the racial disparities that persist in all aspects of lung cancer management – early diagnosis, surgical treatment, lack of treatment, and survival.
For example, Black Americans are 18% less likely to be diagnosed with early-stage disease and are 23% less likely to receive surgical treatment than their White counterparts. They are also 9% more likely to receive no treatment at all, and mortality from lung cancer among Black patients is 21% worse than it is for White patients.
The same trend is seen among Latinx persons, although they are just as likely as White patients to undergo surgical treatment.
First and foremost, “we have to make sure that the [Black and Latinx persons] are screened in an equal fashion,” Dr. McKee said. Providing screening for communities of color is one strategy that might improve screening rates, she suggested.
So, too, can outreach programs in which lung cancer experts work with leaders within these communities, because people are more likely to listen to their leaders regarding the importance of screening for early detection of lung cancer.
Physicians also need to emphasize that even for people who quit smoking decades ago, once those persons are in their 70s, “there is a spike again in lung cancer diagnoses, and that is true for both Black and White patients,” Dr. McKee stressed.
“Again, this is something that many doctors are not aware of,” she emphasized.
Dr. McKee has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.